Cycling restores its clean image in the wake of Lance Armstrong doping admissions

VETERAN Jens Voigt believes cycling has hit the "reset'' button in the wake of Lance Armstrong's doping admissions a year ago.

Jens Voigt taking his turn at the front of the breakaway during stage three. Picture: Sarah Reed

VETERAN Jens Voigt believes cycling has hit the "reset'' button in the wake of Lance Armstrong's doping admissions a year ago with its tarnished image well on the road to recovery.

The 42-year-old Voigt (Trek Factory Racing) is riding what will likely be his last ever Tour Down Under in South Australia this week with his team-mates including Tour de France placegetter Frank Schleck.

"I think things were changing even before last year,'' said Voigt, who is riding the Tour Down Under for the 11th time.

"With the new (UCI) president, the new generation of riders it is cleaner and healthier.

'"I totally believe in the new generation. They are totally different from riders 10 or 20 years ago.''

Voigt said if drugs were still rampant in professional cycling he could not still be part of the professional peloton at his age.

"The sport is clean. It is one of the reasons I am still able to be competitive at my age,'' he said.

"It is better and cleaner. I am proof. I wouldn't be able to ride like this if it wasn't.''

In the wake of Armstrong admitting on Oprah Winfrey to systematic doping last January, just days befor the starts of the 2013 Tour Down Under, the sport also has a new leader in former British Cycling president Brian Cookson who has set himself the goal of restoring credibility to cycling and restoring its reputation.

The new UCI President, in Adelaide at the Tour Down Under, has helped establish a three-member panel which will investigate allegations of wrongdoing and illict activities within the UCI.

The move is part of a push for the sport to regain the publics trust.

"Their work will also be focused on understanding what went so wrong in our sport and they will make recommendations for changeover so that as far as possible those mistakes are not repeated," Cookson said.